S10.E04: Episode 4

[EllaWycliffe]

3 minutes ago, BluBarbi98 said:

I wasn't really that impressed with the new midwife and hope we get to meet the other student midwives. 

I liked the new midwife if for no other reason than its nice to see a fresh face. Lucille is perfect, Nurse Crane is the older wiser head, and Trixie is... Trixie (I'm trying not to say "the old maid" but at this point she might as well consider vows). New girl Nancy has the nunnery background but also seems kinda ready for the real world so to speak. She also seems confident and just needs some experience. 

[dubbel zout]

Nancy didn't listen enough—she rushed in with her own opinion before getting a good overall picture of the situation.

[Daff]

17 hours ago, GaT said:

I only recently saw a photo of placenta, I had never seen one before. It looks like something out of a horror movie, & they're huge! I didn't need to see one in the show, & I hope never to see another one LOL

You’re right, but it really drove the point home (finally) about the comments we’ve heard in past seasons when something takes a downward turn after delivery (“are you sure the placenta is complete?”). We see the infant and everyone rejoicing, but their job is only half done at that point. 

[MissLucas]

17 minutes ago, Daff said:

You’re right, but it really drove the point home (finally) about the comments we’ve heard in past seasons when something takes a downward turn after delivery (“are you sure the placenta is complete?”). We see the infant and everyone rejoicing, but their job is only half done at that point. 

I've read that this was the suspected cause of death for Mary Wollstonecraft.

[Clanstarling]

10 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

Dr. Turner is was more advanced than I expected him to be. Some people were more accepting of homosexuality than others, but accepting that people are born that way seems like a fairly recent concept. When I was growing up, (1950s and '60s)it was believed that homosexuality was caused by having a dominant mother and weak father, or some other unhealthy parentage that "warped" you at an early age. I was expecting Dr. Turner to spout something like that, while still being compassionate. 

Michael's parents were also far too accepting too quickly. Their first reaction was a bit overblown, so the fact that they came around so fast seems odd. But I guess we do have to deal with the fact that the show, for all of its authenticity is being written in the 21srt century.

The show is set in 1966, and the Sexual Offences Act was passed in 1967 (thanks @zoey1996). To me this indicates that there had been a great deal of change of thought, given that laws are rarely passed on the forefront of cultural changes.

As for Dr. Turner, and for that matter the midwives, they've learned to accept and be compassionate for all sorts of things that are not accepted even today (the brother and sister who were living in what amounted to a marital relationship back when, for example). So I have  no problem with Dr. Turner and Nurse Crane being accepting.

As for the parents, and as a parent, I'd say there's nothing like thinking your kid is going to kill himself that might  make you check your old attitudes. Yet, even today there are parents who won't move an inch for that sort of thing. As a parent, I can't imaging that kind of thinking. My kids are mine, and whatever they are, I will love and support them. 

So yes, the turnaround was a bit sudden, and yes, the reaction was a bit over dramatic. And yet...it's not out of the realm of possibility for me.

In any time period, there are a multitude of opinions, many of which do not fall within the "norm" of societal thought. So I expect there were plenty of people in the 60's who had nothing against it at all, and who actively embraced friends who were homosexual or gender fluid. The terms might not have been there, but the thoughts would have been.  For example, right about that time period, as a young teenager, I was actively in favor of allowing gay people to marry. Without knowing any gay people, or having any knowledge of the issues. The only thing I knew was that a relative had been in a concentration camp because of it. So I think I just embraced the "if Hitler's against it, I'll be for it" rule of thumb. It's been a pretty good guideline to live my life by.

8 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

Maybe the scare of losing their son made them come around? . 

My thought too.

7 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Me, too. She’s a good addition. 
Obviously, Fred bet against Britain, but did he bet the whole pot? I was out of the room when he last spoke to the bookie. 
I know Trixie and the widower will end up together, but I don’t like a husband getting over the death of his wife (or vice versa) too fast. Baby Christopher is tote adorbs! That little sneeze! 🥰

He did something with the series of bet - I think he called it accumulating? Which I took to mean that the winnings were automatically put into the next bet. Which means Fred lost a bundle. I'm no expert in gambling, but I think that's what happened.

That sneeze was adorable.

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Clanstarling

[susannah]

7 hours ago, Suzn said:

I think it's the makeup used.  It's the wrong color for her and maybe too heavy.  

I agree. I was wrong in not making that clear in my previous post. I meant how she was made up, NOT her ethnic color. I  agree that it is too heavy, so  looked too smooth.

[susannah]

11 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

The show where she saved the poor little lice ridden kids from having their heads shaved, because she knew how it felt to have that happen and be outcast, made me understand her love of nice clothes and stylish hair at all times.

I could be wrong but I do not remember Trixie saying she was poor and lice ridden as a child. The only thing I remember her saying is that her father was an alcoholic and most likely had PTSD, and she thought it was her job to cheer him up.

7 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Has she been dehydrated for eight seasons prior?

For the WIN!

[MartyQui]

My dad’s cousin (born in 1935) was gay, and was out from the time he was 19.  He worked as a bartender (in gay and straight bars), and I don’t remember any issues with anyone in the family.  He had a long term boyfriend (before my time) that he’d bring to family parties.  When they broke up, he never had another (he was in his late 40’s at that point), but he was always a favorite family member.  I don’t think we were all that progressive, but maybe we were.

I loved this episode, I thought Sr MJ’s scenes were really moving, the new midwife is a good add to the cast, and I was so happy for Lucille!!

[Sarah 103]

4 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I liked the new midwife if for no other reason than its nice to see a fresh face. Lucille is perfect, Nurse Crane is the older wiser head, and Trixie is... Trixie (I'm trying not to say "the old maid" but at this point she might as well consider vows). New girl Nancy has the nunnery background but also seems kinda ready for the real world so to speak. She also seems confident and just needs some experience. 

I would call Trixie the fashionable one. She cares about the latest styles and there is nothing wrong with that.

Nancy, I could see her leaving midwifery. I'm not sure if it's what she wants and what she chose or something that was more or less forced on her by the nuns. I hope we get to see the other students and learn more about who they are as people. 

 

[EllaWycliffe]

1 minute ago, Sarah 103 said:

I'm not sure if it's what she wants and what she chose or something that was more or less forced on her by the nuns.

I wondered that myself. I can't imagine there were a lot of choices available for an orphan in a Catholic orphanage. 

[howiveaddict]

10 hours ago, Suzn said:

I think it's the makeup used.  It's the wrong color for her and maybe too heavy.  

I noticed also.  Like she had been ill, maybe. She had that pasty color to her.

9 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

 

I want to see a flashback episode of all the nuns/midwives early in thier careers, especially to see what Sister Monica Joan was like when she was at her best. 

 

They could hire  a flaming red head, like the actress who plays Sister MJ.  She could be a new novice nun and not wear the full habit yet. Maybe it could be lots of flash backs with the sisters telling stories of when they were first midwives.

[movingtargetgal]

11 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I want to see a flashback episode of all the nuns/midwives early in thier careers, especially to see what Sister Monica Joan was like when she was at her best. 

Yes!  I would love to see a young Sister Monica Joan and Sister Evangelina.  These two women came from such different backgrounds and grew to respect and love each other.  It would be wonderful to watch the beginning of their relationship.  Imagine young Sister Julianne entering Nonnatus House for the first time.  She would be mentored by two Sisters/Midwives that were such wonderful teachers, each with their own strengths.  Sister Monica Joan, wearing her heart on her sleeve and Sister Evangelina with her no nonsense practicality.  They were a big part of making Sister Julianne into such a compassionate and competent leader of Nonnatus House.    

[susannah]

11 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

And here's the thing. As soon as I saw Lucille wasn't pleased, I knew how this would resolve. Because they are so bland and pure. And honestly, I don't think Cyril was making such a bad decision not going into the mechanics business.

The problem is that Sister Monica Joan is deeply insightful when the plot demands it, and a demanding irresponsible  child when it doesn't, made worse that during these insightful moments, she never acknowledges that she's been difficult or ill mannered, or yes, unkind, to the people who manage her when she's off with the fairies, or worse, pretending  to be off with the fairies to get what she wants. 

Exactly. Well, well said. She manipulates people with it, and never appreciates their efforts in caring for her. Also, I LOVE your comment about her being dehydrated for 8, or 10, years! 😃  We have the information now. Breaking someone's leg and giving them a glass of water cures dementia! Also, that Lucille is probably pregnant now because they touched! But, she was wearing gloves, so maybe protected! Though since you mention it, since Cyril had not yet proposed to Lucille when he bought the radio/record player, they weren't in any formal relationship, so why was he obligated to talk to Lucille about what he wanted to do with the money, and what right did she have to be pissed that he didn't? Obligated being the operative word.

[susannah]

7 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

For example, right about that time period, as a young teenager, I was actively in favor of allowing gay people to marry. Without knowing any gay people, or having any knowledge of the issues.

But the parents weren't young teenagers, they had grown up with it being a huge taboo, plus it was illegal, as in going to prison. What loving mother wouldn't be scared to death at the thought that that could happen to her child? Many other parents turned their backs at the least and did much worse at the most, then and now.

[caitmcg]

10 hours ago, susannah said:

Though since you mention it, since Cyril had not yet proposed to Lucille when he bought the radio/record player, they weren't in any formal relationship, so why was he obligated to talk to Lucille about what he wanted to do with the money, and what right did she have to be pissed that he didn't? Obligated being the operative word.

He wasn’t obligated, it was something he realized he wanted to do because he wants to share his life with her. I don’t think she was pissed that he didn’t consult with her, or believed he was obligated to, she was disappointed. in him given that he’d told her he planned to put the money he won into the garage partnership with his boss, before he told her he’d reconsidered because he wanted to stick with civil engineering. Either way, she thought he was being impractical, but she came around, which is why she brought him an album before she found out he’d returned it. 

Edited October 26, 2021 by caitmcg

[susannah]

16 hours ago, CrazyMoon said:

SMJ was suffering from a serious round of depression...plus probably dehydration which can cause dementia-like symptoms. Just like an old fire horse reacting to the bell, SMJ answered the midwife's call when needed. Lovely to see her regain her faith. Everything yet nothing about childbirth is beautiful. SMJ is a highly intelligent & rather esoteric character...she's very deep...

She doesn't just have "dementia like symptoms," it has been said from the first season that she has dementia. Also to say that she was dehydrated is a really random thought. She was able to assist Nancy this time but she is not allowed to practice as a midwife or even to answer the phone. She complains about her "uselessness" all the time but when they ask her to do something helpful, she refuses.

[Clanstarling]

10 hours ago, howiveaddict said:

I noticed also.  Like she had been ill, maybe. She had that pasty color to her.

They could hire  a flaming red head, like the actress who plays Sister MJ.  She could be a new novice nun and not wear the full habit yet. Maybe it could be lots of flash backs with the sisters telling stories of when they were first midwives.

Sounds like a new series " Call the Midwife - Origins."

6 hours ago, susannah said:

But the parents weren't young teenagers, they had grown up with it being a huge taboo, plus it was illegal, as in going to prison. What loving mother wouldn't be scared to death at the thought that that could happen to her child? Many other parents turned their backs at the least and did much worse at the most, then and now.

That is certainly true.

I was using my experience as illustrative of the changing culture in the '60s. I should really have used my mother's influence by example on my belief system.  Her best friend was that family member who was put in a concentration camp for being gay. His family did not ostracize him, though I'm sure they feared what was happening to him. Fortunately, he survived. My mother was never anything but accepting and loving when it came to him.

So, the initial reaction was certainly valid (though over the top), and the second reaction a bit too soon, but based on not so much "what happens" in the future, but what seems likely to happen in the present - his suicide. Since they truly loved their son, the thought of his possible death outweighed the worry about his possible path when it came to the law.

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by Clanstarling

[EllaWycliffe]

4 hours ago, susannah said:

She doesn't just have "dementia like symptoms," it has been said from the first season that she has dementia. Also to say that she was dehydrated is a really random thought. She was able to assist Nancy this time but she is not allowed to practice as a midwife or even to answer the phone. She complains about her "uselessness" all the time but when they ask her to do something helpful, she refuses.

Refuses or intentionally does a shit job of it. I mean, from a viewing standpoint, I love SMJ especially when she's being intentionally naughty and knows no one can say anything, but I am literally taking a sick day today because I can't deal with listening to elderly people tell me they gave out their credit card number willingly and now want me to clean up their mess since they were "hacked" or "frauded". 

 

7 hours ago, susannah said:

Also, I LOVE your comment about her being dehydrated for 8, or 10, years! 😃  We have the information now. Breaking someone's leg and giving them a glass of water cures dementia!

Hehehe. And to be fair, I don't want to make light of the notion that dehydration or B12 deficiencies can mimic dementia (dealt with this with my parents) I just don't get where SMJ has been openly "failing" since season one and now it seems like we're rewriting the early seasons where often off and dangerous to herself and others moments *weren't* dementia.

7 hours ago, susannah said:

Though since you mention it, since Cyril had not yet proposed to Lucille when he bought the radio/record player, they weren't in any formal relationship, so why was he obligated to talk to Lucille about what he wanted to do with the money, and what right did she have to be pissed that he didn't? Obligated being the operative word.

I actually will throw Lucille this particular bone. They may not have been formally engaged but 25 pounds/guineas? (I forget) was a LOT of money back then, especially for a guy living to a certain extent off the charity of others. I mean, one reason they aren't marrying soon is that Cyril is as poor as a church mouse so blowing a windfall frivolously would be disappointing. 

Also agree that they need to be careful with the ungloved handtouching if they don't want Lucille having her baby in a snow bank or on a rooftop or in whatever obscure weird place you know the baby of a midwife will be born. 

[Suzn]

15 hours ago, susannah said:

I agree. I was wrong in not making that clear in my previous post. I meant how she was made up, NOT her ethnic color. I  agree that it is too heavy, so  looked too smooth.

Sorry, I didn't mean that I thought you were referring to her ethnic color.  I expressed badly that I thought the makeup was noticeably  bad.

[Haleth]

2 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I mean, one reason they aren't marrying soon is that Cyril is as poor as a church mouse so blowing a windfall frivolously would be disappointing. 

Didn’t he spend it on her engagement ring?

[EllaWycliffe]

13 minutes ago, Haleth said:

Didn’t he spend it on her engagement ring?

Not initially, he bought the  cool record player.

Personally I think engagement rings are frivolous too, but lots of folks think they're required.

[Haleth]

I thought he said he returned the record player and bought the ring. (I sometimes have a hard time hearing everything they say.)

[CrazyMoon]

1 hour ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Personally I think engagement rings are frivolous too, but lots of folks think they're required.

I had the choice of an engagement ring or the downpayment on the house...I've been in the house nearly 38 years...I didn't want a diamond anyway...a few years after we married he bought me a beautiful sapphirre ring that went well with with my wedding band...our matching bands hang on a chain together where they belong since he passed in 2015.

[Cetacean]

11 hours ago, caitmcg said:

He wasn’t obligated, it was something he realized he wanted to do because he wants to share his life with her.

I think her obvious surprise and disappointment said a lot to him about their future as a couple.  He realized that it could no longer be all about him, that he needed to discuss some decisions with her.  They are a chaste young couple with strong conservative values (cultural ones as well) and that's pretty hard to understand in this century.  It wasn't so rare back then.  

[Sarah 103]

15 hours ago, howiveaddict said:

They could hire  a flaming red head, like the actress who plays Sister MJ.  She could be a new novice nun and not wear the full habit yet. Maybe it could be lots of flash backs with the sisters telling stories of when they were first midwives.

Yes! This is what I am picturing. As an episode, there would be some sort of storm (snow or rain) so everyone is staying in and it's a quiet night in terms of calls. There have to be nights with few calls. The nuns and older midwives like Phyllis are telling stories about the early years of their career. 

4 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

Sounds like a new series " Call the Midwife - Origins."

For the series version, which is a fantastic idea, there are significant time jumps between seasons so we get to see the characters at different stages in thier careers. 

[EllaWycliffe]

1 hour ago, Cetacean said:

They are a chaste young couple with strong conservative values (cultural ones as well) and that's pretty hard to understand in this century.  It wasn't so rare back then.  

I differ with you a little on this. Not that Lucille and Cyril have strong conservative values - they do - but that it wasn't so rare back then. Back then, in 1967, my parents had been married for two years. Its not "long ago, in the before times, when dinosaurs roamed" and things were happening. The Beatles released Sgt Pepper that year, The Rolling Stones were active and at times jailed for drug use. The Irish Troubles were heating up, color tv was starting to happen (I assume SMJ will insist on a color set soon) and while England wasn't exactly the center of the hippie movement, there was a lot of major social change happening. For all that the show mentions things changing, this show depicts London a lot more conservative in the 1960s (with rare moments of liberalism that usually pertain to particular cases)  than it was. There was a sexual revolution going on and while I know this is a show set in a chaste religious order, but honestly it's not just Lucille who seems overly conservative. The only single people who have sex on this show are lesbians.

*Made all the more hilarious that I spent a season joking "No Trixie, don't drink that alcohol! Its bad for the baby we're all pretending you're not having!"

Edited October 26, 2021 by EllaWycliffe

[Ceindreadh]

23 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

He did something with the series of bet - I think he called it accumulating? Which I took to mean that the winnings were automatically put into the next bet. Which means Fred lost a bundle. I'm no expert in gambling, but I think that's what happened.

 

 

 

Technically Fred only lost his original stake which was probably not all that much.  The whole idea of an accumulator bet is that you pick a number of matches or races to bet on and you end up with better odds than if you'd placed the bet individually.  But once the bet is made, it can't be changed, and if any one of the individual matches or races goes against the gambler then the whole bet is lost. 

[howiveaddict]

6 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

Yes! This is what I am picturing. As an episode, there would be some sort of storm (snow or rain) so everyone is staying in and it's a quiet night in terms of calls. There have to be nights with few calls. The nuns and older midwives like Phyllis are telling stories about the early years of their career. 

For the series version, which is a fantastic idea, there are significant time jumps between seasons so we get to see the characters at different stages in thier careers. 

You've just wrote the episode. Too bad PBS will cut a big chunk out so they can show for the umteenth time a short about making the series.

[susannah]

8 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

The only single people who have sex on this show are lesbians.

But no! We only saw minimal handholding between Patsy and Delia, and one kiss, before they disappeared, never to be seen again. I miss Patsy!

[EllaWycliffe]

2 minutes ago, susannah said:

But no! We only saw minimal handholding between Patsy and Delia, and one kiss, before they disappeared, never to be seen again. I miss Patsy!

Susannah, handholding is intercourse! 

But seriously, I know the British aren't physically demonstrative (my father actually grew up in the 1940's and 50's in the East End (and no don't ask me to rely tidbits about the area - my father never had a kind word to say about his childhood, he described England as "a third world country I was glad to leave") but there's a limit. How did that teen boy get genital warts when no one is allowed to touch???

[susannah]

5 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Susannah, handholding is intercourse! 

But seriously, I know the British aren't physically demonstrative (my father actually grew up in the 1940's and 50's in the East End (and no don't ask me to rely tidbits about the area - my father never had a kind word to say about his childhood, he described England as "a third world country I was glad to leave") but there's a limit. How did that teen boy get genital warts when no one is allowed to touch???

Of course, I forgot! They didn't even wear gloves. Your father lived in a place like Poplar? I don't know how that poor boy was able to do anything that he did with that horrible, huge, infected hole in his back. You were talking earlier about how the times were changing in London at that time, and I do remember when birth control for married women became legal, and that did cause a bit of furor between the nuns and the midwives. I recall that Barbara was not happy with Tom for not taking a stand one way or the other. I know all the religious implications it had but they lived in reality, and saw poor women having one baby after another, and/or living in squalid conditions, not having two dimes to rub together.

[EllaWycliffe]

17 minutes ago, susannah said:

Your father lived in a place like Poplar?

Poplar is essentially the East End dock area and yes, while Dad was the child of an american soldier and an english bride, they lived in London, in the East End until he was 14 (which was 1956  or so) I actually started watching this show and reading the books because my father despised England so much, he broke his accent and no one would ever ever know he wasn't born to the Upstate NY Radio Accent (its an actual thing, newscasters strive for it) The kindest thing he ever said about England was, while watching Broadchurch of all things, that yes there were some pretty places that he sometimes got to go to on school trips. 

 

17 minutes ago, susannah said:

Of course, I forgot! They didn't even wear gloves

Lucille and Cyril are so pregnant. So are those lesbians!

17 minutes ago, susannah said:

I don't know how that poor boy was able to do anything that he did with that horrible, huge, infected hole in his back. You were talking earlier about how the times were changing in London at that time, and I do remember when birth control for married women became legal, and that did cause a bit of furor between the nuns and the midwives. I recall that Barbara was not happy with Tom for not taking a stand one way or the other. I know all the religious implications it had but they lived in reality, and saw poor women having one baby after another, and/or living in squalid conditions, not having two dimes to rub together.

Honestly, the show is super sanitized compared to the books - even the early seasons that were more book based. It was pretty squalid and horrifying and I realize now why he much preferred the situation in upstate New York. Boring, countrified, cold as hell, but not squalid and loaded with filth and people coughing up their lungs from TB.

Edited October 27, 2021 by EllaWycliffe

[susannah]

14 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Poplar is essentially the East End dock area and yes, while Dad was the child of an american soldier and an english bride, they lived in London, in the East End until he was 14 (which was 1956  or so) I actually started watching this show and reading the books because my father despised England so much, he broke his accent and no one would ever ever know he wasn't born to the Upstate NY Radio Accent (its an actual thing, newscasters strive for it) The kindest thing he ever said about England was, while watching Broadchurch of all things, that yes there were some pretty places that he sometimes got to go to on school trips. 

 

Lucille and Cyril are so pregnant. So are those lesbians!

Honestly, the show is super sanitized compared to the books - even the early seasons that were more book based. It was pretty squalid and horrifying and I realize now why he much preferred the situation in upstate New York. Boring, countrified, cold as hell, but not squalid and loaded with filth and people coughing up their lungs from TB.

I remember the episodes with those abandoned children, filthy, starving, and the one with the woman having twins or something and not even having a blanket to wrap them in, Chummy gave her own sweater for them,  the woman with 25 children, etc. I don't think they have done stuff like that for a while, except for the arcs with Val's aunt. I bet your dad was very glad to get out of a place like that.

[Daff]

On 10/25/2021 at 7:07 PM, MissLucas said:

I've read that this was the suspected cause of death for Mary Wollstonecraft.

I’m sure it was responsible for many deaths in that time period and beyond, either from not completely separating from the uterus or from tearing the uterus as it did. 

[Rootbeer]

On 10/26/2021 at 2:16 PM, Sarah 103 said:

Yes! This is what I am picturing. As an episode, there would be some sort of storm (snow or rain) so everyone is staying in and it's a quiet night in terms of calls. There have to be nights with few calls. The nuns and older midwives like Phyllis are telling stories about the early years of their career. 

For the series version, which is a fantastic idea, there are significant time jumps between seasons so we get to see the characters at different stages in thier careers. 

These older nuns also would've been in the prime of their careers during the Depression and WWII which would make for some interesting storylines comparing and contrasting with the more modern times of the mid 60's.

[Rootbeer]

On 10/27/2021 at 12:19 AM, susannah said:

 I don't know how that poor boy was able to do anything that he did with that horrible, huge, infected hole in his back. You were talking earlier about how the times were changing in London at that time, and I do remember when birth control for married women became legal, and that did cause a bit of furor between the nuns and the midwives. I recall that Barbara was not happy with Tom for not taking a stand one way or the other. I know all the religious implications it had but they lived in reality, and saw poor women having one baby after another, and/or living in squalid conditions, not having two dimes to rub together.

He had an abscess that developed in a pilonidal sinus.  Some people are born with a tiny opening at the top of the buttocks.  Most don't even notice it, it is painless and not easy to see, not to mention located in an area where people don't inspect very often.  Anyway. sometimes, some bacteria gets trapped in the opening and causes an abscess which needs to be drained.  Like any abscess, it develops pretty quickly, over a matter of days.  The boy didn't have the abscess for very long and might not have been 'working' at the time it started.

On 10/27/2021 at 12:55 AM, susannah said:

I remember the episodes with those abandoned children, filthy, starving, and the one with the woman having twins or something and not even having a blanket to wrap them in, Chummy gave her own sweater for them,  the woman with 25 children, etc. I don't think they have done stuff like that for a while, except for the arcs with Val's aunt. I bet your dad was very glad to get out of a place like that.

I think at least in part, the reason that we haven't had storylines like that is because, in the mid 60's, the British economy was strong, much of the postwar rebuilding had been completed and people were generally more prosperous.

[Sarah 103]

2 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

These older nuns also would've been in the prime of their careers during the Depression and WWII which would make for some interesting storylines comparing and contrasting with the more modern times of the mid 60's.

Yes! Exactly. I think the first season would be early in Sister Monica Joan's career. WWII would be the final season of the Midwives: Origins series. WWII takes you pretty close to when the actual series started. 

[MissLucas]

The changes in economic circumstances, mentality etc. are an undercurrent of the show. Remember in one of the earlier seasons there was a woman who after the death of her husband had been sent with her kids to the workhouse and there they were separated. One of the most haunting stories the show ever did. In the show's present workhouses were slowly sliding from living memory into history books. 

[proserpina65]

I absolutely loved that one of the Turner children was dressed as the Jules Rimet trophy.  Then I started wondering if it was the original one or if that one had been stolen before 1966.  Googling showed me that it was the original, which Brazil got to keep in 1970 after winning the World Cup for the 3rd time.  This original trophy was stolen in 1983 and never recovered. It had been stolen a few months before the 1966 World Cup but had been recovered when someone's dog found it in a garden hedge.

The current trophy is a completely different design and is called the FIFA World Cup Trophy, which definitely doesn't have the same ring.

Thus endeth my World Cup trophy lecture.

 

On 5/10/2021 at 9:54 PM, MissLucas said:

And I guess that's Sister Monica Joan's crisis of faith resolved?

I think so.

Quote

 I like spunky Nancy (and her gorgeous 60s dress at dinner, I had one very similar!) 

 

I'm not usually fond of those particular colors, but the combination of color, pattern and style were fantastic and so very Pucci-like.  I loved that she wore it to dinner.

On 10/25/2021 at 7:49 AM, Haleth said:

What happened to the young priest who was staying at Nonatus House?

I believe his stay was only meant to be temporary.

On 10/25/2021 at 10:56 AM, AZChristian said:

Completely agree.  If the writers can choose between a negative, demanding character or a wise mentor, why not choose the positive?  There's enough drama on the show without turning a character into someone that none of us seem to enjoy watching.

It's possible for the same person to be both things.  I appreciate that Sister Monica Joan has many sides to her personality.

On 10/25/2021 at 10:56 AM, libgirl2 said:

Fred..... why? 

The bookie convinced him that West Germany winning was the smart bet.  Based on actual playing form and results prior to the World Cup, it wasn't.  West Germany was also a longshot in the odds, so had they won, Fred would've won much more than if he'd bet on England.  Oh Fred.

On 10/25/2021 at 11:58 AM, EllaWycliffe said:

It was nice to see SMJ be competant and helpful and yeah, I'm willing to ignore the long running dementia storyline swirling around SMJ as long as she remains mentally competant. If "she's off with the fairies" is the plot line again, I will resume complaining.

The thing with dementia is that a person isn't always one or the other, but can go back and forth between lucid and competent and then "off with the fairies" frequently for some time.  Of course the lucid periods get fewer and farther between as time goes on.

On 10/25/2021 at 12:15 PM, EllaWycliffe said:

Has she been dehydrated for eight seasons prior?

She tends to be less lucid during periods of illness.  And some of the time her behavior is just her being manipulative and using dementia as the excuse because she knows she can get away with it.

On 10/25/2021 at 3:44 PM, Crashcourse said:

It seems to be everywhere and on just about everything.  I like the color but I find it annoying on this show.

At least it's not harvest gold and avocado green, which was everywhere in the US in the 70s.

[kwnyc]

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When those nuns were delivering Nancy to Nannotus house, I kept expecting them to burst out with,"How do you solve a problem like Maria?" 

I was thinking: that girl was raised by nuns and she still has some sass & spunk? Good for her! Also leaves a lot of room open for interesting stories. 

I wonder if they are grooming the next generation of midwives in case some of the long-termers want to move on. 

And MY GOD has Timothy grown! They were lucky enough to cast a kid who grew up to look like the actor who plays his father.

That pilar cyst was GROSS (and I watch Dr. Pimple Popper.)

That said, I don't mind the slight departure from the time to have the kid's parents accept him. Too many period pieces are pretty much about The Homosexual who Has it Terrible. 

As for Sister MJ, I do agree that she was deeply depressed, and the comment about hydration is true...also, at some senior homes, when a patient starts acting particularly strangely, one of the first things they do is take their temperature and check for a UTI. Frequently, treating the infection brings the person back to a level of lucidity. 

[dubbel zout]

47 minutes ago, kwnyc said:

That pilar cyst was GROSS

A friend of mine's son had one. Young men seem to be particularly susceptible to them.

[EllaWycliffe]

3 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

The thing with dementia is that a person isn't always one or the other, but can go back and forth between lucid and competent and then "off with the fairies" frequently for some time.  Of course the lucid periods get fewer and farther between as time goes on.

The last sentence is the problem. Sister Monica Joan's problems with lucidity went from a little dotty ins season one to fairly severe "she can't answer the phone or do anything trustworthy in seasons 4-5 and lingered there over the next few seasons and now she's not discernably affected at all. 

[CrazyMoon]

On 10/28/2021 at 8:26 AM, Rootbeer said:

These older nuns also would've been in the prime of their careers during the Depression and WWII which would make for some interesting storylines comparing and contrasting with the more modern times of the mid 60's.

Phyllis was a either in the army as a field nurse or worked in a military hospital (or both)...it was mentioned early in her arriaval story. She'd have stories to make your hair curl...depending on if Nonnatus House was open during the war, and our familiar nurses were assigned there, they were very active in all nursing activities in Poplar. No one had a moment to themselves....

[Cetacean]

4 minutes ago, CrazyMoon said:

Phyllis was a either in the army as a field nurse or worked in a military hospital (or both)...it was mentioned early in her arriaval story.

Wasn't Sr. E in the war as well?  Seems like I remember something like that.

[AZChristian]

13 hours ago, Cetacean said:

Wasn't Sr. E in the war as well?  Seems like I remember something like that.

I looked at the Call the Midwives fan wiki page.  It doesn't say anything about Sister E being in the war.  I assume she went into a convent and did not serve in the armed forces.

Phyllis did serve in the war, and had a brief (fully consummated) fling with a pilot who was later shot down.

[Clanstarling]

30 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

I looked at the Call the Midwives fan wiki page.  It doesn't say anything about Sister E being in the war.  I assume she went into a convent and did not serve in the armed forces.

Phyllis did serve in the war, and had a brief (fully consummated) fling with a pilot who was later shot down.

To be fair, in England there were many who served (including nurses) in both wars who were never on the front or in the military itself. During WWII, there were plenty of war victims to take care of on the home front during the bombing. I would assume (though don't know) that the East End got its share of bombs. I'd think a nursing order would pitch in.

[caitmcg]

8 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

To be fair, in England there were many who served (including nurses) in both wars who were never on the front or in the military itself. During WWII, there were plenty of war victims to take care of on the home front during the bombing. I would assume (though don't know) that the East End got its share of bombs. I'd think a nursing order would pitch in.

In fact, the East End got the brunt of the bombing in the Blitz. 

[anna0852]

I can't remember exactly which episode it was, one of this season finales for sure though. But they had put together a film to celebrate Sister Monica Jone's birthday and it showed a picture of Monica Joan, Julianne and  Evangelina standing amongst Blitz rubble. And both MJ and Evangelina have referred to delivering babies during the bombing raids.

Edited October 30, 2021 by anna0852

[Rootbeer]

8 hours ago, caitmcg said:

In fact, the East End got the brunt of the bombing in the Blitz. 

Absolutely.  As we've heard so often on the show, the East End is where the docks are located and the Nazis were constantly bombing the area to prevent supply ships from coming and going.

The late Queen Mother famously talked about this after Buckingham Palace was hit during the war:  "I'm glad we've been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face."

[EllaWycliffe]

Again, the only thing my father would ever say about his childhood there, and he was born in 1945, was that it was a squalid hellhole.